I’ve to declutter the top of my fridge. A cat can easily jump onto the fridge from the microwave. I could probably avoid that by removing the shelf next to the fridge, but the fridge could be a nice place for my cats. They can even look out the window when sitting on the fridge.

I first thought about putting some pillows there, but I read that this could cause a fire: pillows and blankets could fall behind the fridge and block the air circulation. I’m not sure whether cats actually need a comfy surface. A basket with a pillow would be a great alternative if I make sure that the pillow can’t fall out. I’m wondering though if it’s too difficult to jump onto the fridge when a big basket is on top of the fridge.

A hammock would certainly be the best option, but I’d need to make some deep holes in the wooden ceiling. I’m only a tenant here and it’ll be impossible to kit the holes when I move out. Sigh.

I’m probably thinking too much. My friend Ashley caught her cat Camillo on top of the kitchen cabinet. He was in this box for quite a while and Ashley was already wondering about the strange noises from the kitchen cabinet. Eventually, Camillo became too curious, had a look what she was doing and revealed his hiding place. Apparently, Camillo would appreciate a basket on top of the fridge.

2. Flowers and plants

I need to check if my plants are toxic to cats. Thank you, Sparkle Cat for linking to Kitty Cat Chronicles’ list of toxic plants. I also need to replace some of the plants from the window sill as cats seem to enjoy sitting there.

3. Shelf

I’ve to either repair or replace my leaning tower shelf of Pisa. Have a closer look at the right side of the shelf and you’ll see its tilt. It’s very instable and so far, I’ve been lucky that it didn’t break. The lower shelves are actually empty.

It won’t take that much time to declutter the fridge and the shelf though.Kaarin from Nordic Planning is a professional organizer and a close friend of mine. She’s very eager about her profession, and started to reorganize my kitchen whilst she was visiting me. Pure luxury! I was just drinking coffee and watching her. I took the opportunity to prepare my kitchen for the cats, and asked her to save some spots for them. I planned on putting some cozy pillows into the empty shelves. I’m a bit unsure if they’ll like this: it’d be best if the cats used the lower parts of the shelf, but I’ve heard that many cats prefer higher places?

4. Shopping list

I’ve already bought a litter and transportation box. Since I wanted to adopt cats from private persons, I assumed they’d sell all cat-related items as well. It would have been better for the cats if they had familiar items from their former home. As I’m now getting my cats from the animal shelter, I’ll need to buy a second litter and transportation box. Another important thing has changed: I’ll now have indoor cats, so I need leashes to go out with them. Thank you for your opinions on appropriate litter boxes. I still hope they’ll accept the covered box in the first floor. Since I need to buy a second litter box in any case, I’ll try which one they prefer and get an uncovered for the second floor.

5. Cat scratcher

I didn’t want to buy a cat scratcher right away. I thought that outdoor cats may not need scratchers since they’ll have plenty of possibilities outside. All my furniture is very old and will be replaced at some point. I wouldn’t thus mind if the cats were scratching on my furniture. However, I reconsidered and think a cat scratcher would be a good thing to have. They’re quite expensive though.

I’m very into recycling and shopping second-hand; it’s not only cheaper and better for the environment, but also much more fun. I’ve however heard that some cats don’t like the smell of other cats, and I’m wondering how much I can shop second-hand. We’ll see, I think I’ll still get second-hand stuff. In case they’re picky, I can resell the cat scratcher and buy a new one. Whilst searching for scratchers on Ebay, I found some DIY YouTube videos. The best part: I don’t need to buy new things for making a cat scratcher myself. This would be so great! I really love to recycle, so I’ll try this out (and write a separate post on this).

They are good at making themselves comfy anywhere they want, cats. So I wouldn’t worry too much about pillows. Cardboard boxes, on the other hand… no cat I’ve ever met can resist taking over a box 🙂
Also, we thought our cat might like it on top of the fridge, but he doesn’t. I think it’s the noise it makes. Anyway, I guess what I’m saying is wait until they’re settled in. Chances are you prepare all these lovely places for them to snuggle up in, and they’ll ignore them.

Haha! That was exactly what my friend said when I was talking about creating some “cat playgrounds” in my house. “I don’t know what your cats will like and dislike, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they ignored all the lovely things you’re doing. I WOULD be surprised, however, if they didn’t take over your cardboard boxes and bags of any kind.”

To be the mouse or the cat

One human, two cats and “Not-Me” living in the suburbs of Helsinki. Which one of us can only play when the other one’s away? I think the human is the cat and my cats are the mice. I’ll explain why as soon as I get this butt off my face.

I suffer from depression and anxiety disorder, and I also write about the impact of cats on mental health.

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